2017-18 hockey B1G schedule released.

Submitted by Sambojangles on
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/050417aaa.html https://twitter.com/umichhockey/status/860253708906582016 It looks good to me. No long stretches without games at Yost like there have been the last couple of years. Interesting that the OSU series is again the same weekend as the Game. The league seems to really want to make that happen (though it's not a terrible idea). I like that ND is a home and home for both series.

stephenrjking

May 4th, 2017 at 6:52 PM ^

3 home games each in January and February. Reasonably spaced out, and there's a game at The Joe whatever it's called, but still just a bit on the slim side. Oh well. They are home-and-homes, which isn't the end of the world. We'll have to see how they fill out the rest of the schedule.

jman077

May 4th, 2017 at 6:53 PM ^

Major case of burying the lede here: ALL BIG TEN TOURNAMENT GAMES ARE GOING TO BE AT CAMPUS SITES!! Finally, a good decision by Big Ten Hockey. Three weekend tournament, opening with three best-of-three series (2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5) with the regular season champion getting a bye. Regular season champ and highest remaining other seed host a single-elimination semi, then the next weekend higher seed hosts a single elimination final. Awesome!

stephenrjking

May 5th, 2017 at 1:35 AM ^

Hey now, the B1G tournament I attended at the X in 2016 was great. Just me, my daughter, Kyle Connor, and 2 or 300 of our closest friends.

It actually was a blast, since I didn't care that there weren't crowds. My daughter and I decided to move over a couple of sections from the section we had to ourselves and sit right in front of the Michigan pep band, who chatted with us and took a picture with us after the game was over. We sang the victors, did cheers, all that.

So we were there on the lower level, and I saw Alton sitting at center ice in the 200 level a quarter of the way around the arena.

"Hey Alton!" I yelled. He heard his name, turned, saw me, and invited us to join him. So we did. 

Had a great time. So the format was fine, as long as you want a crown jewel arena with a capacity over 18,000 people to be perhaps 1/20th full for a major hockey game.

(spoiler: this new format isn't great for me, but it's 100% the right choice)

Hobo5589

May 4th, 2017 at 6:55 PM ^

I feel like Michigan kind of got hosed with Notre Dame.  Why make that series a home and home and create all this traveling.  Not to mention they made that the last series of the season for Michigan so now senior night is on a Sunday.  That is awful IMO.  Just make the first series 2 games at South Bend and then the last 2 at Yost.  Plus the Big Ten gave Michigan a bye week for the final regular season weekend.  Some people might hate that and some people wouldn't mind it.

At least there are no stretches where Michigan is away from Yost for a long period of time.     

lhglrkwg

May 4th, 2017 at 7:33 PM ^

I don't know why you split the ND series into home-and-homes like that. Same with MSU (I know one is at the Joe or whatever). Just make both games in East Lansing/South Bend or both games in Ann Arbor. The split weekends only ensure that it's really annoying for any fans hoping to attend a weekend series

rob f

May 4th, 2017 at 9:32 PM ^

having ND back on the schedule and even being in the B1G for just hockey.

On one hand, it means I can take in a Michigan hockey road game without a long drive again, for the first time in a few years. But OTOH, if ND wants to be an independent in Football and full-ACC in Hoops and everything else, then fick them!

I was fine with them being in the CCHA with us. It was always an easy 45-minute road trip for me down to South Bend (and up to Kalamazoo to play WMU, too) when the CCHA was still a thing. Sadly, those days are gone.

Lou MacAdoo

May 4th, 2017 at 10:55 PM ^

I love getting ND back on the schedule. It's a great matchup and in my opinion two great sets of uniforms. Unfortunately, I've seen Michigan lose too many of their matchups in tight games. Hopefully Mel can coach em up by then and take it to them.

WCHBlog

May 5th, 2017 at 10:34 AM ^

Non-conference dates I've seen so far:

Nov. 3-4 vs. Ferris State

Feb. 23-24 vs. Arizona State

Great Lakes Invitational(Bowling Green is fourth team, date won't be determined until NHL and NBA schedules come out)

AVPBCI

May 5th, 2017 at 12:23 PM ^

hoping they don't schedule the hockey and football game on November 18th in madison at the same time that way i can attend both

AVPBCI

May 5th, 2017 at 12:24 PM ^

I like how they scheduled football games and hockey games with same common opponents. Should do that more often with the schools